Of Fenns And Fenn-Warders
by Tarma Hartley
Summary: Written for awitchyghost for fyeahghosttrick's Ghost Swap 2016 on Tumblr. Jowd, a Fenn-Warder, is Familiarless and happy to stay that way, despite his Partner's assertions to the contrary. Alternate Universe, Fantasy Victorian England setting.


_A/N: I do not own Inspector Cabanela, Detective Jowd, Lynne, Sissel or Missile; they belong to CAPCOM. However, the plot, Sage McCleoud and Mr. Billings are mine. Real places are used but used fictitiously.  
 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _T_ his fic is basically throwing in Mercedes Lackey, David Eddings, mixing in a little bit of folklore, a little GrimGriMoire, a pinch or two of Final Fantasy VIII (my second favourite game after VII) with some of my own stuff and pummeling, pounding and dropkicking it into this. It's also very _Barney Miller-_ ish (Barney Miller was a comedy sitcom about the daily routine of a police Precinct in Chicago during the 70's although it did tackle serious issues as well. I watched it in reruns when I was younger) in terms of humour with some silliness thrown in for good measure. ^)^

I used this prompt: _Use the word "Magic" and make a prompt around that using your favorite characters._ Since you had mentioned that you like Victorian and spooky things (along with angst although this is absent here), I came up with this fic, set in a Victorian England that is _unlike_ any other! *And bears absolutely _no_ resemblance whatsoever to the REAL historical Victorian England. ^_^ * Notes to follow the fic.*

Enjoy! ^_^

Rated K+, Fantasy Victorian AU, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _4 October, 1883  
London, England  
Scotland Yard, Arcane Division  
3 P.M._

Mage Counsul Cabanela leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on the corner of his desk, his blacked, white spatted boots gleaming in the sunlight that poured in from the open window.

He was dressed in a plain black suit with tails, grey cravat with a red Focusing stone in a brooch pinned to it, a simple grey overcoat draped around his shoulders. He held a delicate blue china teacup and saucer lightly in his left hand, slim fingers of his right lying gently on the curved handle.

 _Fooocus in and then-  
_  
He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as he cleared his mind, relaxing the Shield he had had around him when he and his partner, Fenn-Warder Jowd, had investigated the mischief making poltergeist at King's Cross.

 **::Ahh.::** Cabanela was deep in meditation when he felt the Presence of his Partner entering the room and returned the mental greeting affectionately as Jowd made his way over to his desk, slightly to the right of and adjacent to his own. He'd Felt the slight wavering in the sky-blue Shield that surrounded Scotland Yard as a whole and knew that his Partner had just returned from his rounds.

 **::Welcooome back, Jooowd.::**

 **::Thank you.::** His Partner's Voice sounded weary and Cabanela Sent him a mental caress, Jowd Sending wordless thanks back.

 **::Waaas it a difficult asssignment?::**

::Not really; just tiring.::

He sighed as he pulled out the chair. **::You know how it is when you use Mind magic.::**

He could Feel Cabanela's mental acquiescence. **::Yooou know, it would be easier for you if yooou had a Familiar…::**

Cabanela could hear the scraping of the wooden chair legs against the floor as Jowd pulled it out, the soft grunt he made when he sat down, the soft whisper of his black under-robe swirling about his legs and the slight 'clink" of the saucer as he put it on his desk. And wincing slightly as he Felt the irritation.

 **::Let's not start** _that_ **again. I** _don't_ **want one and that's the end of it, Cabanela.::**

::It wooould help you if yooou did.::

Cabanela was relentless and Jowd could feel his temper rise. **::It would make Spell Casting easier and your Thought-Sensing more acute.::**

::No thank you!::

Jowd's Mind Voice was angry, his blue eyes shooting sparks. **::I do not care to share my Mind, Abilities or anything else with another creature; I Share it with you because you're my Partner and that's good enough for me! I don't want to become so dependent on one that I lose that confidence in myself! I'm also tired of hearing it from the Chief and I do wish that you would just back off and let me develop my Abilities in my** _own_ **way!::**

Cabanela's Mind Voice was soft, trying to soothe him. **::It wooouldn't be like that, deeear friend and-::**

Jowd clenched his hand into a fist, his teeth gritted in frustration; Cabanela could Feel real, biting anger travel down the link they shared. **::I said no and that is the end of it! I'd rather not have this conversation and I would appreciate it it if you, and the rest of the Arcanes, would at least respect my decision!::**

::As yooou wish, goood Jowd. ::

Cabanela paused a moment. **::And I'm… sorry.::** His Mind Voice was contrite.

Jowd growled as he turned away, forcing himself to calm down, raking his fingers through his ginger coloured hair. This perceived lack of respect from his fellow Arcanes _really_ bothered him and he wished that _everyone_ in the Division, even his Partner, would stop pestering him about it.

He'd grown tired of the topic some time ago and the fact that Cabanela had brought it up _again_ , knowing full well that it was a sore spot with him, _really_ upset him.  
 _  
Bloody hell!_ He bit his bottom lip, struggling to keep his anger from getting out from under his strict control and vibrating with the effort it took. _It's not like I_ can't _perform my Duties satisfactorily; it just takes a little more effort on my part! I don't understand_ why _they_ won't _leave it alon_ e!

They sat in tense silence until Jowd broke it a few minutes later, relatively calm though his stomach still roiled. He sat back in his chair, his gaze locked squarely on Cabanela's placid face who's serene expression gave nothing away.

"Was it a difficult case?" His tone was deceptively mild; he was still a little nettled about the exchange with Cabanela and he couldn't stop it from seeping into his tone.

Cabanela didn't even open his eyes as he replied, his voice mellow, "No mooore than usual, my goood friend."

Jowd's eyes grew wide as saucers, the corners of his mouth twitching as he tried not to grin. Instead, he chuckled softly, picking up his coffee cup and taking a large swallow, shaking his head.

 _He knows exactly what to say to diffuse my anger. Damn the man.  
_ **  
::Of cooourse.::**

Jowd rolled his eyes and then changed the subject.

"Sounds like _you_ had a more exciting day than _I_ did." Cabanela grinned as he heard Jowd take out his ever present notebook from his emerald-green robe pocket, along with his short nubbed pencil, lifting his teacup to his lips and taking a sip. "Mrs. Carlton wanted us to come by and exorcise a small ghost that was causing mischief in the bakery. Mr. Hamilton needed us to put a fire starting poltergeist in the fireplace where it _wouldn't_ do any harm; he was afraid that it would accidentally set the house afire. The poltergeist, itself, was _quite_ apologetic _if_ you can believe it."

"I _can_ indeed, my goood Jowd." Cabaenla's rich voice was full of amusement. "They dooo tend to be a little on the…shall we say, _sensitive_ … side?"

Jowd laughed as he caught the mischievous look on his Partner's face, his blue eyes amused, the latter chuckling before he took another sip of tea.

"At least _this_ one was, I do grant you _that,_ although not many of them seem to be that way… at least not to me. At any rate, the rest of the morning consisted of redirecting, exorcising or otherwise helping various poltergeists, young Wraith getting caught in a telegraph wire on their annual migration. _That_ was fun: attempting not to not to get singed while trying to free their wings which makes me wonder why in the blue blazes they have those bloody huge things to _begin_ with."  
 **  
**"Well, they _are_ rather laaarge creatures themselves, Jooowd," Cabanela put in with a smirk, taking another sip of tea.

Jowd grimaced, taking a large swallow of his coffee before putting his cup back down on its saucer.

"You're telling _me._.." He winced at the sharp pain that knifed through his left side and he could Feel the sympathetic comfort that came from the man adjacent him. A full grown Wraith had been attacking the residents at Drury Lane and he, along with Cabanela, Lynne and her Familiar, Missile, raced over to put it to rest.

The unfortunate part, as far as he was concerned, was that _this_ particular Wraith was full grown and _much_ stronger, and faster, than he was prepared for. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that _without_ Cabanela's quick intervention, he would have been dead.

In the ensuing attack that left three Officers wounded, one critically, the Wraith's five inch long, razor sharp claws had raked him, opening up a nasty wound on his left side that had taken three Healing Officers to repair. Even though the incident had occurred some seven months earlier, it still pained him from time to time and he never forgot _how_ fortunate he had been to escape the encounter relatively lightly in comparison.

 _I came much too close for comfort to the Other Side of the Shadow Realm and I_ never _want to get_ that _close again._ He shuddered as he thought again of the near miss. _Too close… much too close…  
_  
"Anyway," he continued, shying away from that memory, "there were some small imps and goblins that were raising Cain in the East End and then some trouble with Kelpies and pixies on the Strand." He Felt the other man's amusement rising and he couldn't help but feel a bit nettled by it, Sending him a sharp mental rejoinder that the other man merely brushed off.

 _Blackguard.  
_  
Cabanela laughed again before returning to his tea, all without once even opening his eyes. Jowd was impressed despite his irritation with him, settling back in his chair, his finger resting against his lips.

He'd been working with Cabanela for the past six years in the Arcane Division of Scotland Yard and it never ceased to amaze him at just _how_ good of an Officer he was. He had a _true_ Gift, one who's depth, and strength, far surpassed many in the Division and one that Jowd himself envied on occasion.

 _Except when there's magical backlash,_ he reminded himself, shuddering slightly, _then I am_ very _grateful that_ my _Talent is nowhere near as_ powerful _as_ his.

He remembered a close call that he and Cabanela had had some years earlier when he'd been driven to his knees by a sorcerer's powerful magical attack and was stunned for several minutes; thankfully, Jowd had managed to hold him off long enough for help to arrive but it was a _very_ close thing and one he didn't want to come _that_ close again.

Thankfully, in the years since that near miss, both men had grown in their respective powers; he noted that Cabanela could conjure up the most terrifying familiars known in the Magical Realm and control them with just a single thought without trouble.

Jowd, along with many others in the Arcane division, were _very_ impressed with how easily he could contact the Wraiths in the Nether World and not be overcome by their piercing shrieks that had driven more than one good Officer to madness in the past. They'd lost more men to Wraith-related insanity in the past five years than they had in the previous twenty and Jowd was very grateful that Cabanela had come to the Arcane Division.

 _I don't know_ how _he manages to do that; I've seen others with more years in Arcania who couldn't even put one to flight, let alone control it. No wonder he seems to inspire mingled respect_ and _jealousy at the same time…  
_  
His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Lynne, Special Detective Fira-Warder, tearing into the room with her Familiar Missile hot on her heels, barking happily, wiggling from the tip of his nose to his tail, little sparks of electricity racing up and down the length of his back.

"Afternoon, Lynne," Jowd called out as she entered the room, her flat heeled-black boots making a loud clacking noise on the black-and-white checkered floor in her wake. Her ankle length crimson robes with gold piping swirled about her legs, gold chevrons on her sleeves glinted in the gaslight, her pony-tailed red hair cascaded in graceful waves down to the middle of her back, her brow graced by a gold headband with an opal Focus stone in the middle.

"Afternoon, Detective Jowd!" she panted, brushing a piece of unruly red hair out of her eyes as she came to a sudden stop beside Cabanela's desk, the latter still calmly sipping his tea.

Jowd grinned at her as she sought to catch her breath. "Hot on another case, are we?" He couldn't resist the slight teasing tone that crept into his voice and she made a face at him, her hand resting lightly on the top of Cabanela's desk.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," she replied breathlessly, her left hand pressed against her side, wincing. She spent a few moments catching her breath before she turned slightly to the right to see Cabanela's serene brown eyes watching her with open amusement.

It seemed-at least to Jowd-that Cabanela, as such a powerful Thought Speaker and Senser, _knew_ what others would do before _they_ did. Perhaps _this_ was the source of his amusement.

 _It would certainly go a long way to explaining why he always seems full of mirth._ Shaking his head, he sighed and continued to nurse his coffee as he wrote down some notes pertaining to another case, making a mental note to remember to ask Sage McCloud for lessons in Thought Blocking.

::It wouldn't do you any goood,:: he heard an amused voice say in his head and Jowd's head whipped up to see Cabanela looking squarely at him, the corners of his lips twitching in barely concealed mirth. ::I _can_ get through any Block that you care to put up.::

 _He probably can, the bloody show off!_ Jowd growled a little as he slammed his Shield shut, grumbling something under his breath that was in German and probably not complimentary. Lynne straightened up, saluting him sharply, Cabanela waving his hand in lazy circles as she did so.

"What is it, deeear chaaavy?" The words seemed to flow off of his tongue effortlessly, taking another sip before sitting up and placing his teacup on his desk.

"There's trouble, Sir! At Billingsgate!"

Cabanela's eyebrow rose slightly.

"Indeeed? Whaaat kind ooof trouble?"

Lynne frowned. "Old Mr. Billings didn't _tell_ me, _exactly_ , Sir, but he was mighty upset about something." She closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment. "He said something about a… _feline.._ spirit of some kind that was disrupting his business." She opened her eyes. "He wanted us to come and take care of it right away."

"Hmmm." Cabanela's eyes closed once again, his lips moving slightly, the fingers of his left hand cutting lazy circles in the air. While he held the right palm down out flat Jowd and Lynne both remained silent and even the usually gregarious Missile, who had to be constantly reminded NOT to bark by his sometimes exasperated mistress, remained quiet.

They knew he needed silence to work some Spells and watched, wide-eyed, as soft violet tendrils began to emerge from the air, coiling and writhing four inches above the palm of his open hand; more tendrils came to join the others until he had a large, seething ball of twisting violet.

Time seemed to stand still until, with a barked command, the light exploded outward, settling into a softly glowing sphere that spun slowly in the air beside him; with a smile of satisfaction, he removed his hand, the sphere still stationary.

Cabanela's eyes shone a vivid midnight blue until the color slowly faded, returning to their usual soft chocolate brown.

"Theeere." He slowly got to his feet and picked up his teacup, draining the last few swallows he had left before putting it back down on the saucer. "Nooow, we can go to Billingsgate and seee what the matter is."

He drew his red scarf around his neck and turned, making his way toward the door with that graceful, peculiar lope of his with Jowd, Lynne and Missile following close behind. Cabanela stopped at the entrance and nodded to Lynne, who acknowledged him with a slight inclination of her head. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate, murmuring barely discernible words under her breath.

Jowd watched in fascinated silence as a green coloured shield began to form around her hands and she linked her fingers together before she unlinked them, flinging her hands out toward them.

Four brightly coloured Shields flowed from her fingers, circling around their feet like curious puppies before the Shield solidified underneath to a deep emerald-green colour, lifting them three inches off the ground.

Cabanela smiled. "Goood work, Lynne," he murmured and she blushed at the compliment. "Yoooou've been practising."

Lynne nodded, chewing on her lower lip. "Sage McCleoud has been _very_ helpful in getting my Spells to work properly; she's a _very_ good Teacher."

"Reeemind me to thank her once we get back to the Yard."

Cabanela took a step forward, the others following behind; Missile jumped into Lynne's arms before they flew away, picking up speed as they went along the cobblestoned backstreets of London.

As they raced down the streets fast on Cabanela's heels, Jowd couldn't help but wonder _what_ exactly they would find in Billingsgate. Was it some kind of terrifying Wendigo/feline hybrid coming out from the Moors? Could it be some new kind of terror from the Orient? (Jowd had heard some rumors to that effect some time ago although there wasn't any _solid_ proof that he knew of to corroborate the tales.)

He would have asked Lynne but she was too busy right now trying to keep up with Cabanela's breakneck pace, her lips moving as she intoned a Speed spell that continually wrapped its green tendrils around all four of them, the fingers of her right hand making complex symbols in the air with Missile placidly held in her left arm.

 _What are we getting ourselves into?_  
 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**  
 _Mr. Billings' Fish Market  
Billingsgate  
London, England  
3:30 P.M._

The speed with which they had traveled made Jowd wonder once again exactly what it was that they were getting themselves into; a chill ran down his spine as hundreds of possibilities circled round inside his head. He was ready to hear _anything_ from a monstrous sea serpent to a rabid WereBeast but not what Mr. Billings told them stiffly once they'd arrived, his voice tight and angry.

"A… _cat_?!" Jowd's tone of voice made his feelings clear as Mr. Billings nodded in acknowledgement while Cabanela and Lynne stood a little off to the right, their faces devoid of any expression. "You brought us down here for a … _cat_?!"

Mr. Billings nodded. "A cat _spirit,_ " he emphasized, his grey eyes snapping sparks and pointing a gnarled finger at the main stall. "That bloody thing has been raising Cain all morning and I want _you_ people to get rid of it!"

Jowd shot Lynne a dirty look when she coughed to smother a laugh but wasn't quite entirely successful in doing so and Cabanela looked like his usual mirthful self, as always.

His brow furrowed. "You two _could_ be of some help here," he muttered crossly.

"I wooouldn't dream of it, my goood friend." Cabanela's tone was light, teasing as he turned and sauntered over to Mr. Billings.

Jowd glanced over at Lynne but she and Missile were busy cleaning up the debris left from the feline spirit's predations-he wrinkled his nose at the fishy smell that seemed to permeate the port market, along with other noxious odours-and it became increasingly clear that he would have to deal with this spirit himself.

 _Lovely._ His mental voice was grouchy as he marched over to one of the side stalls. _It would have been nice to have had some help…  
_  
 **::I trust yooou, good Jowd, and yooour ability to cope.::**

Jowd was taken momentarily aback by the soft tone of Cabanela's Mind Voice as it entered into his thoughts. He also noted that there _wasn't_ a single drop of sarcasm or even a hint of teasing and that went a long way to mollifying his temper. **::I appreciate the vote of confidence, my good friend, but I would have preferred to have had some assistance until I knew exactly** _ **what**_ **kind of spirit we were dealing with!::**

Cabanela chuckled. **::No wooorries, dear friend. If we** _ **were**_ **dealing with an aggressive, dangerous spirit, I would have cleared the way fooor you** _ **before**_ **we arriiived at Billingsgate. Have nooo fear; this isn't** _ **that**_ **kind of spirit. It's more of a…** _ **mischievous**_ **… one than malicious…::  
**  
Jowd's face flushed and he quickened his pace the closer he came to the stall, shame and embarrassment flowing through him at once. _Of course. I should have known… He would never have sent me in to confront a spirit unprepared…  
_ _ **  
**_ **::Naturally.::** Cabanela's Voice was soft with just a hint of teasing and, before Jowd could think of an appropriate response, it faded away.

 _One day I swear I'm going to find a way to Block him!_

Jowd huffed before walking over to the entrance to the Fish Market; he took a deep breath and squared his shoulders before he closed his eyes. He extended his hand away from him, intoning softly spoken words. A blue light emerged from the air and slowly descended until it was hovering close to his outstretched fingers.

He knew this spell intimately and, without a drop of pride on his part, knew that he could do it in his sleep. It was part and parcel of him, and part of what made him a Fenn-Warder and why he and Cabanela worked so well together. They were two sides of the same coin, after all, and their differing Talents made them _quite_ an effective team.

He Felt the blue light surround him and the instant it hardened into a solid shield. He smiled as he opened his eyes and proceeded to walk down the darkened hallway; the smell of fish became stronger the longer he walked and he couldn't help wrinkle his nose at the pungent smell.

 _No wonder a feline spirit would be drawn to this place; even if they_ are _supernatural, they_ still _have the attributes of cats, just the same._

He could smell burned wood; he reached out and touched the nearest stall gingerly and it crumbled beneath his fingertips, leaving a soft black mark. He immediately came to the conclusion it was because the stalls were made of wood and this spirit, whoever it might have been, _did_ have the ability to cast some kind of Fire spell.

 _Now_ this _is indeed interesting.. what kind of feline spirit knows how to cast a Fire spell?_ Jowd's brow furrowed as he went over the implications in his mind. He knew of five different creatures it might possibly be but it didn't seem like this one fit _any_ of them.

The amount of destruction that he could see spread out before him was not indicative of a _larger_ creature but a much _smaller_ one; it was true that there _were_ fish strewn about in every direction and some charring of the wooden stalls but even that damage was minimal.

He nibbled on his lower lip thoughtfully. _Huh. This is indeed passing strange._

The further he walked into the building, the more puzzled he became over what kind of creature this might be. His thoughts were interrupted some moments later by a commotion he could hear going on in the large cement room that the fish were stored.

He pivoted in mid-stride, turning and walking quickly over toward where the sounds were coming from, readying his Paralyzing spell, whispered words coming easily to his lips as dark green tendrils spiraled around his fingers.

 _Steady now!_ He didn't know exactly _what_ he was going to encounter but he wanted to be ready for it when he did. When he came to the building, the sounds became much louder and noticed some fish flying out of the open doorway, landing at his feet. He also noticed that the fish, itself, were charred slightly with black which meant that, whatever the creature may have been, it certainly _had_ Fire as its Power.

He peered cautiously around the corner and was about ready to unleash his spell when he came across what looked to be a small black cat with a red scarf around its neck, looking _very_ embarrassed. It was buried underneath a large pile of fish that it had knocked over in its initial flight and he couldn't help the bubble of laughter that came to his lips, the dark green fading away as he took the energy back into himself.

 **::Bother!::** he heard the creature say in his mind, its tone tinged with embarrassment and disgust, as it tried once again to free itself. It succeeded only in dislodging more fish from the stall that was behind it, sending it flying across the room to land in a mangled, scorched pile on the opposite side.

 _What the–?!_ Once Jowd had recovered from his startlement, he noticed the white markings down its back on on its tail, deducing that this was a young male Familiar.

 _How on earth did he come to be here in this fish market?!_ The more he thought about it, the more evident the pure ridiculous irony of it became. He was looking at a cat, trapped underneath a pile of fish and he couldn't help himself; he started laughing until he was red in the face, clutching his sides with his hands.

The small cat looked balefully at him, his Mind Voice long suffering, his crooked tail slashing the cement floor where he lay pinned underneath ten pounds of carp, roach and pike.  
 **  
::If you would be so kind, Fenn-Warder,::** he said tersely, glaring at him, **::I would be most appreciative if you would assist me in getting out from underneath this pile of fish.::** He paused a moment and giving him a dark look. **::And stop laughing!::**

Jowd choked it back as much as he could but his mirth still came through loud and clear as he bent over to assist the trapped cat.

 **::Hmmmph.::** The cat sniffed in disgust, pointing his tail at him accusingly as he was slowly freed from his fishy trap. **::A fine thing it is when a Fenn-Warder cannot help a fellow Creature in acute distress without merriment! What is the Arcane world coming to?!::**

Jowd was surprised, his laughter dying instantly in his throat.

"You know…who I am?" he asked, disbelief colouring his voice as he stared at the young Fenn.

The cat nodded, shook himself and then sat on his haunches, licking his paw delicately.

 **::Of course! Despite what** _ **you**_ **humans might think, we Fenns ARE aware of what it going on in the human realm.::** He sniffed. **::** _ **Some**_ **of us make it** _ **our**_ **business to know.::**

"Oh?" Jowd stood back, his arms crossed over his chest, his tone mild. "I wasn't aware that the Fenn were at all interested in the human world, let alone that they even came into it."

 **::For the most part, that is true but there are some of us who are; keeping ourselves abreast of what is occurring in the human realm IS a matter of concern to us since most events** _ **do**_ **affect our Kind in some way or another.::** The cat paused in his grooming, his tail twitching **. ::I guess you could say that I'm a Guardian and leave it at that.::** He looked pointedly at him. **::You, of all people, should know what** _ **that**_ **means, Fenn-Warder.::**

Jowd nodded, a smile on his lips.

"Indeed I do."

 **::At any rate, I do thank you very much for freeing me although I do take issue with you laughing at me.::** He glared at him again and Jowd bit his lip hard in order to keep the loud chortle he could feel once again bubbling up inside from escaping, covering it with a fit of coughing. **::I don't know HOW** _your_ **Familiar puts up with** _you_ **!::**

Jowd tilted his head slightly to the right, his brow furrowing.

"I… don't _have_ a Familiar."

The cat's eyes widened.

 **::You…don't?::** His Mind Voice expressed deep surprise. And disquiet.

 _What is he so upset about?_

Jowd shook his head. "No. I… _never_ have, actually."

The cat became even more agitated than he had been before, sparks shimmering up and down the length of his back, his white ringed markings snapping white sparks. **::You mean to tell me that** _ **you**_ **, a Fenn-Warder,** _ **DOESN'T**_ _have_ **a Familiar?!::** _  
_  
"That's right."

 **::Well then, we can't have that!::** The cat marched right up to him and, in one fluid motion, jumped up into his arms, Jowd being hard pressed not to fall over in astonishment. **::There has NEVER been, in the History of the Arcane World, a Fenn-Warder WITHOUT a Familiar! It's…** _ludicrous_ **! Unheard of!::  
**  
"Well, I-"  
 **  
::Enough!::** Jowd immediately fell silent at the small creature's command, his eyes widening and his lips twitching in mingled surprise and amusement. **::In the interest of keeping the Arcane World upright and topside, I'm Binding myself to you as of this moment, Goddess help me!::**

Before Jowd had a chance to say a word, he saw the cat point his crooked tail at him and Felt a momentary dizziness; he swayed slightly, a warmth running through him from his head to his feet, Hearing a loud clicking noise in his mind.

 _What the…?!  
_  
He blinked a few times, feeling a little odd but more complete than he had at any other time of his life and certainly more than he had since he came to Scotland Yard's Arcania.

 _Is…is…_ this _what Cabanela was referring to when he said that having a Familiar would help me? I …feel_ different… _in a way I can't really explain…_ Jowd's brow furrowed. _It's like I'm…_ whole. _.. for the first time in years… How…very strange…_

A few moments later, he opened his eyes to see the cat staring at him, a serious expression on his face. **::You really** _do_ **need me…and I need you, too. There are many things in this World of ours that a Familiar like me would be able to help you with; I could also lend a Guiding Hand from time to time, as well.::  
**  
Jowd chuckled, holding him closer.

"A Guiding _Paw_ , perhaps?" he teased and he Felt his Familiar stiffen for a moment, muttering something under his breath.

If the cat could have growled he would have. : **:As you please.::** He reached up and batted Jowd's ginger beard affectionately with his paw before settling down comfortably in his arms once again, purring loudly. **::And my name is Sissel** _ **.**_ **::**

"All right… _Sissel_." He looked down at him somewhat, sternly, his eyebrow raising. "I think, first of all, _you_ need to apologize to Mr. Billings for wrecking his stall and causing such a commotion."

The cat sighed, the tip of his tail twitching. : **:Quite right, old chap, although I really think that** _he_ **needs to apologize to** _me_ **first for scaring the life out of me when** _he_ **chased** _me_ **through the building.::** Sissel sniffed again in disgust as Jowd turned and began to walk out of the room. **::Humans!::**

Jowd laughed as they made their way out of the building and into the late afternoon sun, echoing the shout of Lynne welcoming the newest member of the Arcane Division, Cabanela's gaze soft and mischievous as he greeted them.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _5 P.M._

Amends had been made to Mr. Billings and he had accepted Sissel's apology. He was still annoyed at the destruction that Sissel had unwittingly caused to his fish stall but had been mollified by both the Fenn's sincere contriteness and promise of repayment for the damages by Cabanela and Jowd personally.

He was further mollified when Lynne, Cabanela and Jowd had each picked up a broom and helped him clean up the mess that Sissel had caused in his attempts to free himself.

With a satisfied grunt, Mr. Billings had left to go back to work and finish up the remaining cleanup, leaving Cabanela and Jowd standing together in silence at the front of the building; Sissel was curled around the back of Jowd's neck, his tail curling and uncurling against the back of his emerald-green robe.

The sun was slowly setting and cast its orange-red rays over the Thames River, making it a beautiful sight to behold, both men watching it until the stars became visible in the twilight sky.

From the corner of his eye, Jowd saw that Cabanela had a huge grin on his face and he knew, from long experience, that he was about ready to burst with mischief. He decided to nip it in the bud, giving his Partner a hard look, half-turning to face him, his arms crossing over his chest, planting his black boots squarely on the cobblestone road.

 **::Not a word from you, Cabanela.::**

Cabanela feigned innocence. **::I diiidn't say anything, good friiiend.::**

 **::No, but you thought something.::** He was about to add something else but stopped, realising just _how_ ridiculous this sounded. Being Arcania, both men spent a considerable amount of time in their heads since most of their Magic _was_ Mind based.

Cabanela grinned wolfishly, waving his hand in lazy circles. **::Tooouché.::**

 **::Never mind.::** Jowd sighed as he rolled his eyes. He had the feeling that he _wasn't_ going to hear the last of this for some time to come and, judging from the expression on his Partner's face, he _wouldn't_.  
 _  
For at least a dozen years. Bloody hell. There are times I really hate longevity._

Cabanela grinned as he reached over and scratched Sissel behind the ears, the latter purring in feline contentment.

 **::Now** _there_ **is someone who knows how to treat a fellow Creature well.::** He flicked his tail at Jowd. **::Unlike** _you._ **::**

Jowd sighed as Cabanela burst out laughing, his cheeks reddening slightly. In the midst of all the merriment, Missile wandered over to greet the new arrival, touching noses and barking happily, affectionate gestures that Sissel accepted and returned, purring loudly.

 _I have the feeling that life is going to be_ very _interesting from now on._ He looked affectionately at Sissel who batted his cheek with his tail as Jowd followed behind Cabanela to where Lynne was waiting, a soft smile on her face. _And I'm happy, just the same._

 **.:FIN:.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Notes

I have used British spellings since it's set in England. I also use the British manner of dates which are day/month/year instead of month/day/year.

Chavy=Victorian slang for "child" (Taken from here: Version: https(colon)(slash)(slash)site(slash)motman(slash)Home(slash)information(slash)slang )

In this fic, a Fenn-Warder is someone who has the power to manipulate water, swamp foliage and wind; they can Summon and Communicate with swamp creatures and wind (taken from the definition of fen). They also have Mind Magic, can cast spells and communicate via the mind.

-Mind Speech is indicated by a double colon **::** in boldface. This is taken from Mercedes Lackey's _Heralds of Valdemar_ series of books. The only differences are that I use boldface and she uses italics between the colons in her books and I use double colons where she uses only single ones)

-Fenns are spirit creatures who take on the appearance of cats. (They exist nowhere save for in my own imagination)

-Sages are experienced Mages-of ten years or longer duration-who teach other Mages Mind Magic and other Spells.

-Cabanela's rank of Mage Counsul comes from the video game _GrimGriMoire_. That's Lillet Blan's rank at the end of the game in the Royal court.

-I did use some creatures from folklore such as pixies, Kelpies and the Wendigo/Windigo. Wraith come from _Stargate: Atlantis_ although I changed a couple of things: they have waist-length white hair, wings and five inch long retractable claws, human like faces (and not bug-like as they are in the tv show.) And their Shrieks can cause insanity. (They don't drain people of energy as they do in the tv show)

-Partners-with a capital P-in this world are mentally linked so as to make instant communication-a necessity in this Realm with magical creatures, both benevolent and malevolent, running around-when necessary. Much the same as in real life police officers and their partners, they are very, _very_ close, even _more_ so since they _do_ share their thoughts. (Think of it as "Drifting" from _Pacific Rim_. The Jaegar pilots are linked mentally and share each others thoughts and memories when they're inside their robots.)

-This is not a pairing fic.

-Fish in the UK: https(colon)(slash)(slash) .uk(slash)enjoy-the-waterways(slash)fishing(slash)fish-species .org(slash)markets(slash) l

-Billingsgate is a real place though I have used it fictitiously. Info taken from here: http(colon)(slash)(slash) .org(slash)markets(slash)

-Other Scotland Yard detectives and constables, who are NOT in the Arcane Division, are not linked mentally and, therefore, their partners are indicated with a lowercase "p".

-Thought Sensing, Mind magic, Mind Voice, Links, Shields, Focusing, Blocking, having a Companion and being mentally linked with them, being mentally linked et al is from Mercedes Lackey's _Heralds of Valdemar_ series of books.

-A Shield: a conglomeration of energy that solidifies into a thick covering that protects the person from either magical attack or someone trying to probe their thoughts. (From Mercedes Lackey's _Heralds of Valdemar_ series of books. At least that's the way I looked at them from the descriptions. Also the Shields don't really have any specified colours except in the case of at least two of _The Last Herald-Mage_ series of books, _Magic's Pawn_ and _Magic's Promise,_ that I can recall.

- **Blackguard** : obsolete : the kitchen servants of a household 2 a : a rude or unscrupulous person b : a person who uses foul or abusive language ( http.(slash)slash) (slash)dictionary(slash)blackguard. Cabanela really ISN'T like that at all nor does Jowd honestly think he IS one; he's just irritated with him. Lynne, Cabanela and Jowd have worked together for a LONG time and know each other intimately; the four are close friends with Jowd and Cabanela being Mind Linked. They tease each other mercilessly but not in a mean spirited fashion; it's more in tune with close friends teasing each other.

-A Focus Stone: A semi-precious or precious stone used to Focus the Mage's energies through. (From Mercedes Lackey, _The Last Herald-Mage_ trilogy of books)

-Mage McCleoud is an OC of mine and made up for the purposes of this fic.

-Abilities and spells that are magic are capitalized.

-Fira is a spell you can get off of Ruby Dragon (Level 1-34), Adel, Anacondaur, Buel, Elite Soldier, Esthar Soldier, G-Soldier, Grendel, Hexadragon, Jelleye, Mobil Type 8, PuPu, Raldo, Seifer, Sphinxaur, T-Rexaur, Wedge (level 20-29) and Bite Bug and Bomb (Levels 20-100) _in Final Fantasy VIII._ ( http(colon)(slash)(slash)( .com(slash)wiki(slash)Fira_(ability)

-I've kept their ranks the same as ingame.

-It's a _bit_ long at 5,632 words-*sorry*-but I do hope that it will be enjoyed!


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